Logic
by MissDevon
Summary: short pieces applying logic where there was none on the show.
1. Chapter 1

"So, let me get this straight: you want to take the word of a five-year-old on this?" Steffy asked.

"Flo collaborated the story," Hope argued.

Steffy fought to not roll her eyes: "so a five-year-old, an admitted liar/con artist, and the people who _overheard _them conversing about it? Are you out of your minds?"

"She's Beth!" Hope argued.

"And what are you going to do with _Beth _when you leave?"

"She'll sleep in her car seat," Hope said as if it was obvious.

"One: she could die doing that because her airway can become compromised, and two, you have?"

"Well, you…"

"Oh, hell no! Those things are PHOBE'S not _Beth's. _I bought them; they stay her. Like her."

"Steffy…" Liam started to placate.

"Don't you even start!" Steffy said shifting her attention slightly. "Those things belong to _my _daughters. To Kelly and Phoebe. They like her are not going anywhere."

"You can't stop me," Hope huffed.

"OK. This is how that scenario would play out: you take PHOBE I call the police. You two tell them this farfetched story and if we're not lucky they don't take you at your unstable word and _neither _of us have her because they will put her into foster care until this is settled. You _really _want to one up me that badly?"

Hope pouted: "You wouldn't."

"Try me," Steffy replied seriously. "You two idiots don't have anything that she needs and you aren't going to walk out of here with it or her.  
Liam," Steffy continued as she looked at him with a mix of pity and disgust: "you brought up DNA testing. _If _it proves your story then," she paused pushing back tears. "You can take her. I won't put up a fight. But, until then, _Phoebe _stays here."

"But…" Hope started to argue.

"No buts. You can come and spend time with her all you want. Put her to bed. Bathe her. Love on her. But she stays here until we get the truth."

"Why would Flo lie about this?" Liam asked.

"Why would she lie about having a child? Sign legal documents that say she was the mother?"

"Buckingham admitted it," Hope chided.

"To who? You really think that suddenly the man you claim stole your child is suddenly so honest? Think about it. Lie about Phoebe and get money. Lie about Beth now and get more. Seriously, you two haven't figured… you know what give me my baby and get out."


	2. Chapter 2

Daddy

Thomas looked down at his feet as he shifted his weight. He wasn't as dumb as Hope believed and frankly was pissed off, she thought she could con him so easily. But he had his own game to play. "Thomas, what are you so afraid to ask me?" Ridge asked.

"The thing is, Dad, I'm not really going to be asking this for myself."

"OK?"

"See, Hope came to talk to me about Douglas."

"You are not signing over rights to the boy to her," Ridge bit out tensely.

"That's not…" Thomas looked at his father through lowered lashes. "She saids that in California more than two people can be listed as the legal parents of a child."

"Thomas…"

"The thing is, Dad, I don't want to name her as another parent to Douglas. I don't think that Caroline would have agreed to it."

"Thomas, I'm glad you're thinking of what Caroline would want, but I don't understand why you are so unsure of yourself right now."

"Because if I were to list another parent for Douglas, I think it should be you."

"ME?"

"You were supposed to be his father. If the truth hadn't come out you would be now, not me."

Ridge hung his head and sighed before looking at his son: "but the truth did come out, Thomas."

"Yeah, and she and I raised Douglas together. I never realized how much she did for him till now. Dad, I don't think I'm cut out to be a single parent and I know Hope will never want me the way that I want her.  
Maybe someday I'll find someone else, but I can't be an only parent. I don't know how.  
I want to name you are his other parent so that I know that he'll have someone if something should happen to me. I mean, I could've died in that fall and what would've happened to him? There would have been a fight over it and we don't know who he would've needed up with. I just know now that I can't have that person be Hope, or any Logan."

Ridge nodded his head: "you know Karen and Danielle would take him in a heartbeat."

"But then he'd be in NY and not with the family here. I want him to be here. I also know that Hope and Brooke aren't going to give up. I don't want to lose my son to them."

"Brooke is still my wife Thomas."

"True, but you're not the same man you were with her as when I was a kid. You won't let her do to him what she did to me and Steffy and Phoebe.  
Dad they're going to keep coming at me. Please help me by doing this. I think it's what Caroline would've wanted—I mean, I think she was still in love with you."

"Thomas…"

"IF we had told you the truth, that we were only co-parenting together, would you have tried to get her back?"

"I might have."

"I shouldn't have come between you two…"

"You didn't. We blew ourselves up but keeping his paternity a secret. It was the secret that tore us apart," Ridge admitted. "But if you want me to, I'll do it."


	3. Chapter 3

He was stuck.  
He had to support his son for all it meant. If Thomas was all they said he was…

He had given up the woman he loved and who had made him happier than he had been in years because it was "the right thing to do."  
He had ignored his righteous anger that Thomas had taken advantage of Caroline because she couldn't see things the way he did.  
The Logans had pushed them to do the right thing and tell the truth.  
He had and he had lost the girl and the child he had wanted.  
He had all but given them away, as if it were that simple.  
If he had known that they were only co-parenting he might have done something about secretly wanted to and tried to get them back.

But that didn't matter now.

Caroline was gone and the boy remained. He was the one who was supposed to protect him.  
Love him.  
Raise him.

And he couldn't let the fact that he wasn't be for the wrong reasons.  
He had to make sure Thomas was the father they had wanted him to be in the end.  
If he watched closely maybe he could be.

But one thing was for sure the Logans wouldn't be getting their grasping hands on Douglas, even if it meant he had to.


End file.
